Makeup Breakdown: “Seeing Red”

Red has always had a deep resonance with mankind; its deep, enticing warmth, causing us fear and attraction in equal measure. It is the color of danger, of stimulation; of caution and abandon.

In a word, red is, marvelous!

The bold, instinctually primal feeling it creates in us is something that most women shy away from. But Givenchy’s new fall 2010 campaign, is refusing to wave the white flag. It proudly exclaims its love for passion and strong spirit, through two lusciously painted red lips!

And yet we tend to shy away from this primary powerhouse, worried that our strength will be misconstrued as over-bearing. Women are always telling me, “I can’t wear red lips”. Heck – I was one of those women for a long time. I personally no longer think it’s the color that renders us timid and unable to reach for the red, but purely the lack of confidence to go out into the world and try something new, uncharted (on our face), and bold! We all contain the confidence, we just need the right tricks to bring it out.

It’s all about finding the RIGHT shade of red and wearing it with CONFIDENCE. Any drastically different makeup look will take a bit of adjustment – but follow these tips and pick up the right products and I guarantee you that ANYONE can wear RED!!

But what red is right for you?

The secret to choosing the right red is paying attention to your skins undertones. You should always test the color against bare skin (on your face if possible, but if not the inside of your wrist will do fine).

– Women with Pink undertones should opt for a classic cherry red, to play towards the tones in your skin (being careful to not go towards fuchsia).

– Those with olive skin can wear a lip color with a bit more orange in it, think fire-engine red.

– Darker-toned skin looks great with deep reds – burgundy tones leaning on the cool side work beautifully.